lurker coming out

Hi, I have been lurking around this site for awhile. I have been considering WLS for over a year. I now have a appointment for my consultation and to start testing with dr Oh. I have the fianancing all set up and am ready to get going. Problem is I cant decide what type of surgery to have. lap band, or RNY then if I go RNY do I go laproscopic or distal or???? How the heck do you figure out what is best for yourself. I am hoping the doctor will help with this. How did you all decide. What things should a person get to get ready for this. Any recomendations would be appreciated.

Duane, your surgeon will discuss the options with you. I just wanted to clarify something about your question. RNY is either done laproscopically or open. Laproscopic means you will have 5-6 small incisions that they will insert tools into and do your surgery. Open means they will cut you lengthwise (in most cases) about 6-8 inches and open up your abdomen to do the surgery (longer recovery time). So that means you will either have a Laproscopic RNY or an Open RNY. The doctor will make that decision for you. Depends on severl factors. Distal refers to the length of your common channel (intestines) attached to your pouch. You will either be RNY distal, RNY medial, or RNY proximal. Proximal being the shortest. I chose the RNY because that is what my insurance paid for. I, personally, would never do the Lap Band for the simple reason that I wanted something PERMANENT. And I didn't want to mess with having to get fills and such. I have friends on this board, and people I know personally, who have had the lap band and are completely happy with it. Just do your research. That is probably the best thing you can do for yourself. Become TOTALLY informed before making your decision. Good luck on your decision to have surgery! I am completely satisfied with mine! (Laproscopic RNY proximal) Welcome to the board! Lori

Congratulations Duane . I just had my surgery with DR. Oh . Have you been to his orientation ? I suggest it . If you eat a lot of sugar , Lapband won't eliminate that . Dr Oh offers three RNY's . Proximal , Medial , & Distal . I had open Medial . He will only do Diatal open . He'll do some Medials lap . Almost all proximal are lap . I started out knowing I wanted RNY . I wanted something permanent . It's a personal thing . Read profiles , too . They are very insping . Kathy

HI, Thanks both of you for reponding. I went to his inital class and understand the differences. But I just didnt understand how you decide what you need or want. I was at one last year from another doctor and was told I could have lap band but no mention of it this time. I have my appointment the 25th and will be ready to ask him alot of ?. Did any of you stock up on the protien and vitamins before your surgury so that you would have them ready to go.

If you have Dr. Oh as a surgeon , he will require you to be on a liquid diet for 7-10 dats prior to surgery . That will be jellow , broth , Etc... & protein Shakes . He wants you to lose weight before surgery , so I started having 2-3 shakes a day & one very low carb / high protein meal a day . Between that & the 10 day diet I lost 30 pounds in five weeks . Dieting prior to the 10 day diet also made the liquid diet easier . If you go to Vita lady in Puyallup , you can do taste testing . My favorite is Champion mochachino , sugar free carmel syrup & a little ice . Blend it up & it's like a frappachino . Very good . I mix the flavors . Chocolate & banana , etc...I have been told that tastes change after surgery . I will find out today . & it's a neccesity to get your vitamins ahead of time . You'll go through a nutrition class with Tina & you'll find out more . Kathy

Kathy, Congrats on your surgery! Sounds like you are doing well! I am glad to hear it! I have surgery Thursday and I am freaking out about what I am going to eat!!! I bought a vita-mix machine at the fair a week and a half ago. Do you have some recipes that are helping you consume other items than protein shakes? I am a kitchen retard (I usually eat out, which is why i am where i am) and I am not very savvy mixing ingredients. I really could use all the help I can get!!!! If you know any web sites or other things I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much!!! And well wishes for your recovery!!

My surgery was on a thursday , too . How exciting . I am havinga heck of a time getting in any protein post-op . Just beware things taste different after surgery . Things are too sweet . At first regular water tasted bad , so I put in crystal light . Now water is tasting better . I really believe it was the morphine . Pre-op I loved to put four frozen strawberries in with my shake powder , wated , a little sweetner & blended it in my Magic bullet . I'll have to try that agin . Now i'm mixing the shakes 1/2 servings at a time . For recipes try www.bariatricbytes.com . That is Dame tooters site & has lots of recipes . She is a wealth of information . Let me know how you're doing . I hope I didn't dicourage you . I'm just doing the early post-op dance . lol . Kathy

Duane - you will just love Dr Oh. I had my surgery last march and have recommended him to other people who have asked me about surgery. Dr Oh's office has a orientation class which explains alot. Their are a lot of us here at OH who are patients of him. Feel free to e mail myself or any of the other Dr Oh's patients - i beleive most of us will be happy to answer your questions too. Susan

Hi Duane, The thing that really helped me decide what surgery I wanted was going to support groups. I attended several for each surgery type. I met people who had had the surgeries. I asked them questions about their experiences and listened to what they had to say. I notice you only mention the RNY and the Lap Band. There is another surgery option, the Duodenal Switch. I highly recommend you research it as well. If you are interested in finding out more you would be very welcome at our DS meeting on Saturday the 14th. We meet at 4 pm in the meeting room at the Sizzler in Tukwila. You can also get good DS info at www.duodenalswitch.com as well as the wonderful DS board right here on OH. I had my DS a year ago and it has been a true miracle! I know how hard it is to make these decisions but if you do your research and know your options it will be a lot easier. Take your time, this is a decision you will live with for the rest of your life so it's worth getting all the info. I would also recommend interviewing more than one surgeon. I met with three before I made my choice even though I really liked the first one. I knew I needed to be sure I was making the right decision. To some extent the doctor can help you make a decision but keep in mind that doctors have their preferred surgeries, the ones they are good at and comfortable doing. This is not a bad thing, you want someone who is an expert in the surgery you choose, but be aware that surgeons tend to recommend the surgery that they prefer to do. I would suggest consulting with surgeons who specialize in each surgery so that you can hear from each of them whether you are a good candidate for the surgery they are best at. I hope this makes sense. Basically, what I did was meet with an RNY specialist, a Lap Band specialist and a DS specialist before deciding on a surgery. There are no DS specialists in WA, although I believe Dr. Oh does them occasionally. Luckily, Dr. Rabkin, from San Francisco, flies up here every other month to attend our support meeting and is available for questions and discussion so I was able to get my DS questions answered without leaving the state. As it happened, I did end up choosing to go to San Francisco for surgery and I am thrilled with the results. Because I did so much research before making my decision, I have never had any doubts about my choice. Whichever choice you make, my wish for you is for you to have this same certainty that you made the right choice. Best of luck! Laura